Leave the Darkness of Sin

When Isaiah looks at the world around him, he sees so much darkness. He sees a world lost in sin. Isaiah 60:2a says, "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people." This is a darkness that cannot be penetrated. It is a deep darkness, a very dark darkness. For three hours on Good Friday, while Jesus hung on the cross dying for our sin, darkness descended upon the land at midday: "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour (about noon to 3pm) there was darkness over all the land" (Matt. 27:45). It was an unnatural darkness, a thick darkness, a darkness without the glory of the presence of God. That is what Isaiah saw—a darkness caused by sin.

To be in "darkness" (Isa. 60:2a) means to not know God or the things of God. It means to be in rebellion against God, not trusting Him in any way. It means living under your own power; trusting only in yourself; making yourself the center of the universe. That describes many of the people in Israel in Isaiah's day. It was a time when Israel was not walking in the light with her God. In Isaiah 59:9-10 the people are well described: "Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places."

Isaiah 1:3 says, "The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider." In other words, the people are dumber than the ox and the donkey because these animals, at least, know their master. Hosea 4:6a adds, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." People fall into sin because they are ignorant of God and the things of God.

To live in darkness also means doing the deeds of darkness, shameful deeds that Paul instructs us to leave behind. "Therefore be imitators of God… And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us... But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you… neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (Eph. 5:1-5).

To live in darkness means wanting to have nothing to do with the light. John 1:5 says, "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (or did not understand it). And John 3:19 adds, "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." In other words, the world lives in the darkness of sin and wants nothing to do with the light of Christ. In fact, men of the world fear the light. They fear the light because it shows the darkness of sin for what it is and they do not want to let go of their sin.

The command then is to recognize this folly and respond to the light of the gospel of Christ by faith. As Isaiah 60:2b concludes: "But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you." God calls you out of darkness and into light. He calls you to leave the darkness of sin and turn to the light. He calls you to turn to Christ and follow Him faithfully. Amen.